National Charter of Values and Ethics seeks to prepare youth for the task

Dubai: The UAE Cabinet on Tuesday approved a host of national initiatives to mark the 41st National Day.

The initiatives were approved during a Cabinet meeting at the Union House in Dubai chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the presence of Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Among the initiatives approved is the National Charter of Values and Ethics that aims to create a generation of Emiratis who are aware of their responsibilities towards their nation, families and society.

DUBAI A massive new development unveiled yesterday by the Ruler of Dubai is to include the world’s biggest shopping mall and more than 100 hotels.

Mohammed Bin Rashid City, which is also to encompass sprawling parkland, was announced yesterday by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and comes amid a resurgence in the emirate’s economy.

“The current facilities available in Dubai need to be scaled up in line with the future ambitions for the city,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The development – a joint venture between Emaar Properties and Dubai Holding – is to be located between Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Road and Al Khail Road.

Dubai: Cruise tourists, property owners and their families, businessmen and professional can now get multiple visit visas to the UAE.

The move came after Lt. General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior issued Ministerial Decree No. 418 yesterday for the year 2012 amending some provisions of the Regulations to the law of entry and residence of foreigners to the UAE.

According to the ministerial decree issued, cruise tourists will be able to get three months multiple tourist visa and stay maximum of 14 days during each visit. Earlier, they were given only single entry tourist visa.

Those eligible for the multiple entry visas include businessmen, property owners and their families, and cruise tourists. Rest of the categories remained unchanged. The move aims at further facilitating tourists, investors and businessmen coming to the UAE.

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has taken a leading position in the world of mobile broadband by successfully testing speeds of up to 300 megabits per second (Mbps) on its Fourth Generation, Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) network about a week ago and the service provider now aims to fully cover the nation’s populated areas on this network within the next two to three years, a top-ranking Etisalat official said on Sunday.

Landscape-transforming project will pave way for a host of business and tourism avenues

Dubai: Dubai will spend Dh1.5 billion to extend the Business Bay canal by 12.8 kilometres, from the section of Shaikh Zayed Road flanking the Safa Park Interchange to the Arabian Gulf.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has endorsed the extension of the Business Bay Canal Project, including required modifications to roads and bridges.

Shaikh Mohammad has also directed the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to complete the project within two years.

The project will add a fresh urban and tourist landmark to the Dubai’s landscape and is expected to boost Dubai’s bid to host the World Expo 2020.

The extended Business Bay Canal will cross Shaikh Zayed Road before Al Safa Interchange and cut across Safa Park, Al Wasl Road, and Jumeirah 2, terminating in the Arabian Gulf

The canal will usher in a host of new business and investment opportunities including the possibility of utilising it to harbour floating hotels, or constructing hotels and restaurants on either side, or launching integrated tourist and recreational facilities in Al Safa Park, besides constructing canal view houses.

With a good number of energy experts in attendance, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), announced in his speech at the MENA Renewable Energy Forum, which is being held at Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai, Dubai’s ongoing plans to build the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which will have a 1,000MW capacity by 2030, and, upon completion, will be one of the biggest solar parks in the region, and possibly beyond. This will make a substantial contribution to Dubai’s future energy needs. The first phase of 13 MW solar PV plant will be in operation before end of year 2013.

“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced in January 2012 the launch of a long-term national initiative to build a green economy in the UAE entitled, “Green Economy for Sustainable Development,” which seeks to enhance the country’s competitiveness and sustainability of its development, and preserve its environment for generations to come,” said Al Tayer.

“The Supreme Council of Energy of Dubai was formed as a formal governing body and seeks to ensure sustainable energy resources for the Emirate’s growing economy in a cost-effective manner, and reduce and mitigate any negative impact on the environment. Within this legal framework, the Council governs all activities related to the energy sector in the Emirate of Dubai, including energy efficiency and resources management.”

It is not surprising that huge ranges of businesses in Dubai are electing to use serviced offices today. Many new, but not necessarily small businesses cannot accurately predict their headcount figures over a two or three year time span. These companies take flexible offices in a serviced office facility where they will be able to take additional space when it is needed. A traditional office may feature in the next stage of their property strategy, but initially, they prefer to avoid large overheads with high set up costs.

A Business Centre is the collective term for an office building, or often just a floor or wing of an office building, in which a company provides a range of offices to tenants on relatively short term contracts in the form of serviced offices. These offices are fully fitted and furnished and ready for immediate occupancy. Serviced office operators also take responsibility for all of the services including reception services, secretarial support, and conference and meeting facilities, video conferencing, networking and high speed internet access.

While initial costs may look high, the charges that you pay includes almost all of the costs that you would normally expect to pay on top of rent in a conventional office; and better yet, they are fixed costs – from month to month, you know exactly what you’ll pay for your workspace. There are no additional costs for furniture, heating/air conditioning, lighting and power, security, cleaning, building and plant maintenance, elevators, insurance and other miscellaneous expenses that business owners are usually in the dark about until the bill arrives. For many start-ups, the up-front costs associated with a conventional office are simply unaffordable and the hassle-free monthly payments at a serviced office are far more manageable.

Dubai: Dubai’s non-oil foreign trade swelled by 12 per cent to Dh600 billion in the first half of 2012 compared to Dh535 billion in the same period last year, Dubai Customs announced on Monday.

Ahmad Butti Ahmad, CEO of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (DPCFZC), said that Dubai’s imports was valued at Dh356 billion during the first half of 2012 compared to Dh320 billion in the same period in 2011, showing a 11.5 per cent increase.

The value of exports and re-exports in the first half of 2012 amounted to over Dh245 billion, a 13 per cent increase compared to the Dh217 billion achieved in 2011, he added.

According to Butti Ahmad: “The figures of Dubai’s foreign trade in the first half of 2012 is the highest ever in the trade history of the emirate.”

“Comparing this figures to the same period of 2008, the booming era, Dubai’s foreign trade achieved Dh458 billion, later to drop to Dh361 billion in the first half of 2009 as a result of world economic crisis.”

Dubai: Saudi Arabia largest export and re-export market for Dubai Chamber members in first half of 2012 with a total value of Dh36.3 billion, a recent study developed by Dubai chamber of commerce and Industry said.

While the study highlighted that the Value of exports and re-exports of 9,194 members during the first half of 2012 grew by 13 per cent at Dh136.2 billion in the same period of 2012.

Dubai Chamber members’ exports and re-exports to Saudi Arabia during the first six months of 2012 reached a total value of Dh36.3 billion, representing 27 per cent of overall exports, making the kingdom the largest export market while Iraq was second at Dh19.4 billion.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah have made it to the list of the Arab world’s top five cities to live in, according to a recent survey.

Conducted in part by the job-search website Bayt.com, the survey identified the top cities in the Middle East in terms of several factors that affect the lives of residents, including labour rights, the environment, socio-cultural factors, and quality of life. According to the survey’s respondents, the top five cities in the Arab world to live in are, in order: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Manama, and Muscat.